Hand Prints from the Past

 Before the holidays, the compressor we use to spray the finish on our signs bit the dust.  There was a hole in the tank and Lou has been using a smaller compressor since that happened.  The large compressor was located in a shed that is attached to the shop, but the door to the shed was an outside door.  He decided as he needed to replace the compressor, he would cut a doorway inside to the shop to the shed. Many things (trash) he has held onto for years went flying out the door into the trailer for a trip to the dump.

But the best thing he found were the daughters' handprints and
names the girls put  in the concrete when their Dad poured floor.
Memories from 1990

 

A Warm Place on a Cold Night...

A group of family and friends went on
a cold night to a very warm place for
an evening of glass blowing at a local glass studio. 

 

Some of the beautiful work in the McFadden show room.

McFadden Art Glass Studio

White and Windy Wednesday...

...and Lucy is loving it!

Last of The Christmas "Togethers"

 

 Getting a late start this morning...had the final Christmas get together dinner here last night. 
So it's a 2 mug morning while I try to get myself ready to head to the shop. 

 Because the grandbabies were sick and contagious for Christmas and they were here at our house, we canceled the Christmas breakfast with my Mom, sister and her family and my brother and his wife.  Last night we finally got together for the last of the Christmas dinners and gift giving.

 The children loved their jammies and hats....

 

 I had planned on showing how I made zucchini lasagne and gluten free baked ziti for dinner and although I have photos of the preparations, I never took photos of the finished meal.  When this crew is ready to eat...they are ready to eat!  Both were delicious if I do say so myself and both were wheat free for the daughter and grandson.

I've been forced to be Smart

Two years ago, when Lou needed a new cell phone, we decided on a smart phone because we could plug a card reader into it for accepting credit cards at craft shows.  We could find out instantly (or almost instantly) if a purchase was approved or declined.  Not that we really had much problem with declined cards but it would streamline the process of taking credit cards for the business.  We had used the knuckle buster or card imprinter to capture the card information and when we returned home after a show, had to send that information for each sale to the company we use to process our cc sales.  It was time consuming and there was also the chance that the card would be denied.   So this has worked well for us. 
I continued to use my 3 year old flip phone.

Two weeks ago, Lou's phone started to "act up".  After 2 visits to the Verizon store,he figured the "smart" thing to do would be to get a new phone as he would get $100.00 back on his phone and he was due an upgraded.  New phone...a bit larger screen.  All is well.

Last week, my Mom called to say her phone, an 8 year old flip phone, wouldn't hold the charge any longer.  She went on our family plan years ago as it was much less expensive than it would have been to keep her own plan.  So off to the Verizon store we go.  I figured we could give my Mom my phone and I would take my upgrade.  I planned on a another flip phone.  Well, to get another flip phone, you need to order it online.  The daughters have both been telling me I should get a smart phone.  Lou has been telling me I should get a smartphone. The very nice saleslady at the phone store suggested last year's i-phone as I didn't really care about all the new bells and whistles. So I walked out with a white phone (the nice saleslady apologized that they only had white...I didn't know you  got to choose colors) and all the accessories that go with it.  Checking the receipt, because I was due 2 upgrades, my new smarter phone only cost $.99.  However all the accessories were a bit more costly. 

So now I need to learn how to be smart...I can turn it on...I've chosen a ringtone...I can answer a call and make a call.   I never used Lou's phone so this is new to me.  My Mom gets my old phone that she will be able to use as it the same type she has been using. I really worry if something happens to my old phone,
she will never be able to master the smart one (or won't want to)

The best part of getting smart is that I will also receive all the texts, photos and videos from the daughters that Lou always gets but sometimes forgets to show me.

One more little story.  My aunt was rushed to the hospital unexpectedly several months ago after a problem with a test she was having done. My uncle who decided that he didn't need a cell phone any longer after he retired discovered that he had no idea how to use my aunt's smart phone.They were suppose to be heading to their son's house after the test and family was starting to get worried as no one had heard from them.  It was several hours before he used the house phone at the hospital to contact the family. 
So it may be a good thing that I'm learning to be smart!

Coffee Memory?

Pour yourself another cup...
Caffeine improves memory.

 

From Science Recorder...1/12/14

Ain't Nobody Happy

Still Crazy in Love?

Still Crazy Sign for your Valentine 

Still Crazy in Love After All These Years...
The Husband and I are working on 39 years married
and 41 together.
How many years have you and your love been together?

On my second cup of coffee and will be heading up to the shop soon. 

Appears the warm up is on it's way. Just need to make it through today.

Working on some new "Love" designs...for Valentine's Day, Weddings or
just for the one who is forever in your heart.   
As soon as I get the finish sprayed on I'll take some pictures and share with you. 

Hoping you will be getting a little bit of warmer air in your little corner.

photo:pinterest no source

Paul's Mother's Crumb Cake

30+ years ago,  I worked in the Visual Merchandising Department of Montgomery Wards.   We always worked on Christmas Eve, as every single piece of tinsel needed to be removed from the store before we left that day.  I worked with a wonderful group of people and we all brought in a different food for a breakfast buffet.  If we had to work on Christmas Eve, at least we would take a bit of time to enjoy the holiday together.
All those years ago, Paul, one of the young men who was part of the department,
brought in a crumb cake, made with his Mother's recipe. 
 

My family has been enjoying this buttery crumb cake every Christmas morning since.  Last week I made a gluten free version of the cake for Darlin' D as he has a problem with wheat/gluten.  I used Pamela's Baking Mix in place of flour and the only difference was that the crumbs just weren't as "crumby".  They just didn't clump the way they do with flour. The cake did however taste the same.  I use a fork to mix...you don't need to pull out the mixer.

This morning I had a request from the Husband for another cake.
Sharing the recipe with you...

Paul's Mother's Crumb Cake

 1/4 lb of butter
2 eggs

1/2 tsp of salt

3/4 cup of milk

1 cup of sugar

2 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of vanilla

1  3/4  cups of flour

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla.  Beat in eggs.  Add flour, salt and baking powder and mix.  Add milk and mix.  Pour into a greased 7x11 oblong pan. (do not flour).

Sprinkle crumb topping over cake and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Topping

1 cup of flour
1/2 tsp of cinnamon

6 tbsp of melted butter 

3/4 cup of sugar

2 tsp of vanilla

Combine ingredients and sprinkle over cake.

 For those wanting to make the cake gluten free...use Pamela's baking and pancake mix.  I use this for waffles, pancakes, muffins and more when the grandchildren are here.  I get it from Safeway but I'm sure it can be found at most grocery stores.

Baby It's Cold Outside...

 Good Morning Snow Friends...

 

 Lovely Sunrise and Bitter Temperatures

 But Beautiful in Our Little Corner...

and Lucy is Blowing in the Wind.

www.countryworkshop.net

My Christmas Present

...in 1959. 
She was blue and had a bell and we traveled many miles together. 
Wish I still had her.
 

Memories

The Old Saying Be Careful What You Wish For

For years...ever since our daughters were young, I have always wished that one
Christmas Eve, the sky would open and drop 3 feet of snow so we could stay home all day.
Lou and I are blessed with lots and lots of family. 
That means we are usually on the run from the afternoon of
Christmas Eve until late Christmas night.

 

This year I got my wish...however it was not because of piles of the white stuff.  Our darling son-by-love has been working lots of hours on a project with a deadline.  Daughter Holly asked if it would be ok with me if she and the children  came on Monday and stay until after Christmas so Lou and I could give her a hand with getting
the grandchildren ready for all the visiting in case Daddy got held up at work. 
I jumped at the chance to have them all here for Christmas. 
We did however need to let Santa know where
to find Darlin' D and Riah J. 

Monday morning the children woke up with fevers and coughing.
A trip to the pediatrician found that they both had  RSV. 
Very contagious, especially affecting small children and the elderly. 
That made it not a good idea to go to any Christmas family gathering. 
We also had to cancel our Christmas morning breakfast here at the house.

So we all stayed in for several days.
Hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, Lysol spray were were in use continuously. 
Even with the house filled with sneezes, coughing, fevers, snotty noses and germs,
Santa was brave and came down the chimney and left goodies for 2 very sick grandbabies.  

 The children had a fun time until the children's motrin wore off and the fevers shot up. 

 We had happy times...

 and melt down times.

 

  Darlin' D and Gramps followed Santa's progress on the computer.

Santa left boot prints on the floor when he can down the chimney
and made his way out of the fireplace.

 

  

Grand dog Dre and Lucy enjoyed their gifts...
even some that weren't meant for them.

 Both children are feeling better now, after a week.
The cough and runny noses are still lingering

It was still a wonderful Christmas...

The house has been oh so quiet since the crew left last Friday.